Bleach and the Goblet of fire
by Crimson Requiem
Summary: Byakuya and Ichigo are sent to Hogwarts as undercover students, to eliminate the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. They become good friends with Harry and his friends and join forces to plot against Voldemort and his followers. Along the way, Byakuya and Ichigo both discover that they mean a lot more to each other than they previously thought. Eventual yaoi. ByaIchi. No explicit scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**Key**

Character speaking: "Hi"

Thoughts: _Hi_

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**Chapter 1 – The Mission**

Byakuya Kuchiki, the captain of the sixth division of the imperial court guards and the 28th head of the Kuchiki family, was sitting on the porch of his ridiculously overlarge mansion. An impassive look on his aristocratic features, he sat looking out at the sakura trees in his backyard. It was their season, and they were in bloom. A gust of wind slowly caressed his face, bringing the sweet scent of the blossoms to his delicate nose. He smiled gently, a slight upturn of those pale pink lips, as a few sakura petals drifted and landed on ebony hair. It had been so long since he had felt so at peace with himself, and he supposed it was all because of a certain orange-haired substitute Shinigami who had suddenly encroached upon his well-ordered and rigid lifestyle.

Ichigo Kurosaki was the one who had changed his life within weeks. The substitute Shinigami had thrown his life into chaos within moments. But Byakuya was glad of it. If not for Ichigo, perhaps even his beloved sister Rukia would be gone from this world. The emotions he felt when he thought of Ichigo were complex, but what he was sure of was that he trusted the substitute fully and completely. As he sat there, a sudden noise snapped him out of his deep reverie.

"Byakuya, where are you?" yelled a very familiar voice. "Ouch! What was that for, Rukia?" Ichigo shouted in pain. "How could you kick my ass?" Byakuya's thin lips quirked in amusement. He could just imagine the outraged look on the Ichigo's face as Rukia kicked him. Rukia was growing rather impulsive lately, he reflected fondly.

"Shut up and let Nii-sama rest!" Rukia yelled back angrily. "Don't disrespect my brother!" Byakuya smiled again. Months before this, Rukia would never have been so defensive of him. It had only been after he had told her his reason for adopting her, for ignoring her that she finally opened up to him. And he was grateful of that. Grateful of Ichigo too, of course as Ichigo had been the one to change him.

As the footsteps grew nearer, Byakuya stood, facing the two. "Ichigo Kurosaki. Why are you here? And Rukia, it is fine to release the hold you have on his ear."

"Hey Byakuya, how have you been. My division has certainly been giving me a headache." said Ichigo, grinning ruefully. Ichigo had to hold back the blush that was threatening to overwhelm his cheeks. He had always been affected when the noble was in physical proximity of him. The silky ebony hair, unbound and cascading over his shoulders, framing those piercing pools of dark grey, the delicate nose and the small, pink lips of the noble always managed to quicken his heartbeat. What was worse about today was that Byakuya was not clothed in his usual captain's haori but was in an informal yukata. Byakuya looked radiant in the pale pink yukata with the sakura embroidery, his pale skin highlighted by the pink shade. His lithe and lightly muscled physique was the epitome of perfection, Ichigo thought dreamily.

"I have been well, thank you. And may I inquire if there is a reason for your sudden visit?" Byakuya's deep voice resonated through the empty hall as he gazed calmly at Ichigo. The noble knew it was not a social call, as Ichigo was dressed in his captain's haori. Ichigo had taken over the captaincy of the fifth division after the betrayal of the traitor Aizen. Ichigo had actually died from his wounds from Aizen's betrayal, and was now the official captain of the fifth division.

"Yama-jii wanted a meeting just for the both of us. We are supposed to report to the first division barracks now for a top secret mission." Ichigo said quietly. "Let's go." Byakuya paused for a moment before nodding, his face set in his indifferent expression. "Wait a moment for me to change into my haori please."

Byakuya quickly flash-stepped to his room, and put on his black shihakusho, white kenseikan and captain's haori. He glanced into the mirror. He looked impeccably regal as always. Then, saying a quick goodbye to Rukia, the two captains strode toward the first division briskly.

The captain commander, Yamamoto Genryuusai, was not pleased. After receiving a message from his lieutenant stationed in Britain, he had realised that there was an anomaly that needed to be gotten rid of. Lord Voldemort, or Tom Marvolo Riddle, whoever that was. Apparently, this person had managed to cheat death, and stayed alive even though he was meant to die ten years ago. It was an anomaly which had to be eliminated. This person had also sent many souls to their death, and was a mass murderer. He was quite powerful in dark magic. That was why the captain commander was going to send the two powerful captains to assist in the elimination of the anomaly.

As Byakuya and Ichigo stepped into the room, the captain commander intoned in his deep voice "Captains of the fifth and sixth division, you will be sent to the living world for the duration of one year, during which you will enrol in Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry. You will be concentrating on the investigation of how this anomaly known as Lord Voldemort has managed to survive, even after death. You will also be focusing on the elimination of this threat. The laws of soul society will be temporarily lifted. You may interfere just this once in the lives of the humans, to prevent further casualties. This person seems to be sending an extraordinarily large amount of souls into soul society and must be stopped at all cost. Do you understand the importance of this mission?" At the captains' nods, the captain commander was satisfied. "You will report to the Urahara shop for your gigai, and necessary supplies. The mission begins now."

At the Urahara shop, the blonde haired Kisuke Urahara was explaining function of the newly made gigais to the two captains. "The gigais will enable you to use your Shinigami powers effectively, up to bankai, to fifty per cent of your full power. It is a new model that will allow you to use magic depending on the amount of reiatsu you possess. As you both have almost limitless reiatsu, there should not be a problem. Also, to address an important fact; the gigai will make you two younger so that you can pass off as 14 year olds."

The two Shinigami stepped into their gigais quietly. "Oh, and here are your individual wands. They have been already tested for compatibility." Urahara said, hiding his smile behind his fan. It was obvious to him that the two captains were infatuated with each other, though they were both in denial. _I wonder when they will find out. _ He thought a small smirk on his face.

"Here are two tickets for the Quidditch world cup between Ireland and Bulgaria. It is a popular wizard's game. You two would enjoy it." Urahara was delighted. These two finally had a chance to be sent alone in a mission with each other. He hoped that one of them would eventually confess their feelings on this mission. It was obvious to anyone but them that they were meant for each other. _Maybe that's why captain commander sent them both on this trip together. I never knew that the old man was this perceptive. _Urahara thought happily.

Urahara opened the Senkaimon and proceeded to tell them "This will send you directly to the location of the Quidditch world cup. I assume you both know how to speak English?" At their nods he said, "Good, good. After the world cup, further arrangements will be made for your transportation to the actual school."

Byakuya and Ichigo stepped into the Senkaimon rapidly, and walked to the exit. They were in a field in the middle of nowhere. They looked quietly as the tents in the neighbouring field carefully. It was out of the ordinary. Many of the tents were gaudy and flashy. They had several stories. One even had a water fountain.

"Hi, can you show me your tickets? " A female voice broke the silence. Ichigo and Byakuya swivelled around to see a brown haired, nondescript lady staring at them curiously. "I am Nymphadora Tonks. An auror with the British ministry of magic"

"We are from Japan. I am Ichigo Kurosaki and he is Byakuya Kuchiki." Ichigo said, smiling excitedly at the lady. Instantly, her hair turned bubblegum pink. "How did you do that?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"I am a Metamorphmagus." She said quietly. "I can change my appearance in will."

"That's cool!" Ichigo grinned at her, causing a bright red flush to creep across her cheeks. "Byakuya and I will be going to Hogwarts as fourth years."

"So you are the transfers!" Nymphadora exclaimed. Let me introduce you to several people who go to the same school as you. Have you heard of Harry Potter?"

"No. Who may that be?" Byakuya enquired his face as impassive as ever.

"You mean you haven't heard of him? Everyone knows about him! No matter how isolated your country is you have to have heard of him right? Never mind, there they are. I'll introduce you!" She said happily. She was not going to pass on the chance of escorting these prime male specimens. Especially the ebony-haired one; He looked so hot!

Dragging the two captains by their arms, she brought them over to a group of redheads. "Hi Arthur; Hi Molly. I would like to introduce to you the Hogwarts transfer students from Japan. This is Ichigo Kurosaki and this is Byakuya Kuchiki"

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Byakuya said courteously. "I am from Japan, the captain of the sixth division of the imperial court guards and the 28th head of the noble Kuchiki clan." He bowed in greeting, elegance and grace conveyed in every motion. "

It was Ichigo's turn. He managed to execute a perfectly formal bow as well, an amazing feat since he only realised that he was a noble from the Shiba clan and the head no less, a few months back. "Hi, I am Ichigo Kurosaki, the captain of the fifth division of the imperial court guards and the head of the noble Shiba clan*1."

"So you are nobles?" A red haired freckled boy spoke out angrily. "Why are the likes of you associating with us common folk anyway?"

"Ronald Weasley! Do not be rude to them; they are to be treated with respect!" Molly Weasley berated angrily. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes, mum. I'm sorry." The boy said in a mutinous tone. "I'm sorry for my rudeness." He said to Byakuya and Ichigo.

"Hey, no need to be so formal. And you are forgiven. We are after all going to the same school right?" Ichigo said cheerily. "Anyway, I can understand what you mean. These nobles are too stuffy, rigid and arrogant for their own good."

"Kurosaki," Byakuya said softly, a slight and dangerous smile curving his lips. "Might I remind you of your current position as the head of the Shiba clan? And mine as the head of the Kuchiki clan? By not treating nobles in general with respect you are not respecting yourself or me, considering the fact that we are the highest in rank next to the king. Do you not think that this is quite ironic? You should consider retracting that statement before you are shredded and sliced to pieces by Senbonzakura. In fact, I feel no obligation to restrain her now. Perhaps it is your wish to be sliced to shreds?"

Ichigo was thoroughly terrified. Even though he had beat Byakuya once, he had no inclination to try again. He had been sliced by Senbonzakura before and that feeling was not pleasant. Moreover, Byakuya was now his close friend, which meant that Ichigo would most likely not raise his sword in retaliation. This would result in Ichigo himself being sliced to a million pieces by millions of tiny and deadly sharp blades. Not a pleasant prospect by any means. "I'm sorry, Byakuya. I now retract the statement. You are the one I admire the most after all." Ichigo murmured in a respectful tone even though technically he was of the same rank as the noble Kuchiki head.

Gazing at Ichigo's pale face, Byakuya was oddly satisfied. _At least he knows how to show his respect of me. _Byakuya was quite pleased that Ichigo actually respected him the most. A warm and unidentifiable emotion was spreading over him, warming every fibre of his being. Then, he noticed the many speculative stares that were directed at Ichigo and himself. A certain red haired girl and a brown haired girl with bushy hair were both staring at him like they were ravenous dogs and he was a large juicy piece of steak. He suppressed a rather violent shiver. It was unsettling to say the least. _What are they thinking?_ _It is rather embarrassing to have so many stares directed at me. Do I have something lacking in my appearance or mannerisms? Is there something wrong? _While these thoughts flashed in his mind he kept an indifferent expression on his face without much effort. The many years of training he had endured to gain a noble demeanour were not to waste after all. Unbeknownst to many, he had a fiery temper when he was young and had to train very hard to maintain a passive and emotionless façade.

"Hi, I am Hermione Granger, this is Ginny Weasley, this is Ronald Weasley and this is Harry Potter." The bushy-haired girl introduced herself, and then indicated to the red haired girl and the rude boy just now. Then, she pointed to another guy who had a lightning shaped scar on his forehead and a pair of outdated spectacles.

"Hey! How do you do?" said Ichigo cheerily, as he proceeded to shake their hands. "Nymphadora here thinks that we should have known of you before we even met you. Any particular reason?" This question was directed to the dark haired boy known as Harry Potter.

"Blimey, you haven't heard of Harry? Which rock did you two crawl out under? He is the most famous person in the wizarding world! He saved us from you-know-who, of course." Ronald said incredulously, a look of disbelief on his freckled face.

"Who may you-know-who be?" Byakuya asked patiently. "What do you mean by that sentence?"

"Wait. So you don't know who that is." Ronald began to laugh, still with the disbelieving look stamped on his rather foolish and plebeian features.

"You-know-who is actually Voldemort." Harry interjected, trying to stop Ron from showing more disrespect and digging his own grave any further. He was too, rather perturbed by the situation as all the wizards he had met so far all recognised him.

"Oh, that Lord Moldy guy? Sounds like some kind of talking fungus" Ichigo said, unimpressed by the whole thing. "Isn't he some dark lord or something?"

This sent the whole group of wizards into fits of uncontrollable laughter. The only notable exceptions were Ichigo himself, and Byakuya who plainly did not get the joke, and the two adult wizards who were staring at Ichigo open-mouthed.

"What did I say?" Snapped Ichigo irritably. He glared at the giggling children intensely until they stopped, staring at him with wide eyes.

"I think it is your rather irreverent description of the dark lord who is named Lord Voldemort by the way." Byakuya replied dryly in a rather sardonic tone. "Could you explain who this guy is and how he got defeated by Harry?" Byakuya asked Mr Weasley.

"Well, it's a long explanation so let's go into my tent," whispered Mr Weasley. "These are dangerous times indeed. Do you have your own tents?"

At the two Shinigami's shaking of heads, he then said cordially, "Then you are welcome to stay with us. Let's go in."

The two Shinigami followed him into the tent, where he proceeded to explain the whole situation to them. Ichigo was quite indignant about what he was hearing. So this guy was just like Aizen, albeit a little less threatening to them since he seemed much weaker than Aizen. It was not like this Moldy guy could kill him and Byakuya anyway. However, he suddenly felt a huge surge of protectiveness toward Harry, and was determined to help him. After all, Ichigo had too suffered the loss of his family members and he did not want another like him to suffer as he did. He did not want this Harry Potter to feel as futile as he did when he failed to protect his loved ones. _I swear to protect these people to the best of my ability and keep them from harm. I will also protect my loved ones no matter what! _He swore to himself those exact words, glancing at Byakuya with a protective gleam in his chocolate brown eyes.

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*1. I put Ichigo as part of the Shiba clan due to his resemblance to Kaien Shiba. He is Kaien's cousin, and Isshin is actually Kaien's long estranged uncle! (Though Kaien is now dead)

Hi people, I have been actually reading fanfics for a long time, and I finally plucked up the courage to write this one! Constructive criticism welcome please, and my apologies for any grammar mistakes. (I am not a native speaker nor writer of English so please alert me to my mistakes) Thank you for reading my first attempt, (pathetic though it may be) and review! Thinking of an omake for the next chapter, any suggestions?

I wrote this fic just to share my joy with everyone. The Byakuya that I thought died because of that damn Quincy is actually very much alive! After so many agonising chapters of what seemed to be Byakuya's last moments and such a long wait, Tite Kubo decided to make him live after all! I don't hate you anymore, Tite Kubo, because after all you created my favourite character Byakuya and brought him back to life. (I think the only reason Byakuya was revived was because of the overwhelming hate mail of fan girls anyway) I'm glad to say that I am one of them! And there will definitely be lots of fluff about Byakuya and Ichigo in this fic!

Crimson Requiem off~


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks everyone for reviewing. **** OMG I actually have so many reviews!**

**Elspeth: I will try to rectify the age thing. But about their introduction as captain of the imperial court guards it will be explained in the following chapter. Thanks for pointing my mistakes out. XP**

**Boredom's apprentice: I will certainly write more.  
**

**KaizerDragoon: Here's the next update. *offers you an invisible cookie* Nice name 8D**

**Not-Your-Busines: Here it is. The new chappie!**

**ByakuIchi-lover: Ahahaha Byakuya is cute when he is kinda different right? There will be more of this side in the chapter.**

**TheAnimeWriterLover/Pernshingami: Ehehe glad you like the last chapter. Here is more fluffiness!**

**Hope you all like this chapter! Anyway, I will be going for a one week holiday on 17 Nov to 24 so I may not be able to update due to a lack of WiFi. Sorry for the wait.**

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**Key:**

Character speaking: "Hi"

Character thinking: _Hi_

* * *

**Chapter 2 – The Quidditch World Cup**

"Ladies and gentlemen … welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup! The loud voice of Ludo Bagman was soon drowned out by the frenzied applause of the thousands of spectators. A sea of red and green flags were waving as the large screen on the pitch showed BULGARIA: ZERO, IRELAND: ZERO.

Gazing at the pitch, Ichigo was in awe. It was made out of a shimmering gold material and the majestic pillars of the stadium spoke of money, lots of money. The British Ministry had to be very rich to afford a display like that – a display that was going to be taken down after one day.

Ichigo felt a gentle nudge at his side. It was Byakuya, and the irritated expression on Byakuya's face spoke volumes about his unwillingness to be in his current situation. However, there was no helping it. The tickets were for them to learn more about the wizarding world after all. And what better way was there to learn about their culture than experiencing it first-hand? However, Byakuya had many objections to that and it showed, even on his tightly controlled face. Ichigo had learnt many things about Byakuya through his friendship with the man, and he knew that Byakuya absolutely detested crowds. However, when Ichigo suggested going alone by himself, Byakuya had insisted on accompanying him. It made Ichigo feel rather touched to see the usually cold and frigid guy to care for his safety that much.

A warm feeling was creeping across his chest, and Ichigo finally realised that he wanted more than being Byakuya's friend. He wanted much more than that. What he wanted was to become Byakuya's romantic interest; his partner. Ichigo could finally understand why his heart bled a little every time Byakuya was wounded in battle. He wanted to protect Byakuya, protect him from harm; protect him from everything. He wanted to be Byakuya's lover. Those selfish feelings that arose in his heart had to be quashed. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not. He needed to say it now.

"Byakuya, I like you." Ichigo said softly, looking into Byakuya's misty grey eyes. Byakuya's eyes softened for a moment. Then he realised what Ichigo had just said. A pink flush crept across the alabaster cheeks as Byakuya struggled to formulate a response. He tried to think of something – anything appropriate to say but found that he could not. How could he? What Ichigo had just said was out of his expectations. He did not even dare to contemplate it. But Byakuya suddenly realised that he was actually ecstatic inside – his heart was beating so violently that he could hear it pounding in his ears, feel the blood thundering in his pulse. Byakuya gazed into the warm hazel eyes of the person who had just done that to him. Steel grey clashed with chocolate brown for a moment, and then a magnified voice resounded through the pitch, ruining the moment.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce … the Bulgarian team mascots!"

The right side of the tent, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval. Red flags were raised, fluttering in the wind, as wolf-whistles sounded. A hundred women glided onto the pitch. And they were no ordinary women. They seemed to have an ethereal quality to them, like they were the graceful faeries of myth and legend. Their skin seemed to be luminous and glowing, and their golden hair flowed behind them in waves, making them look out of the world.

Ichigo was not in the least affected by their beauty, unlike all the other people seated next to them. One man was trying to take off his shirt and another was trying to leap off the stands to join them. Ichigo snorted. There was no one who was more beautiful and deadly and regal than the man sitting beside him, Byakuya Kuchiki. Instead of looking at the women, all Ichigo could look at was Byakuya. Byakuya was really perfect; there was no other word to describe it. The silky ebony hair was now unbound and free of kenseikan, flowing down his back, which made him look like a king. Dressed as Byakuya was in common clothes, he still managed to radiate an aura of power and grace. His mercury grey eyes were bewitching, and not to mention the dainty pointed nose and the tempting pink mouth. His noble and aristocratic features did not make him seem feminine at all, as they were balanced by a perfect male physique and a commanding air that told of his masculinity. In fact, Byakuya was indeed the perfect male.

Ichigo was so preoccupied by drooling over Byakuya that he missed the women dancing. He only snapped out of his reverie when Byakuya tapped him lightly on his shoulder and asked in a perplexed tone, "Please stop staring at me in that manner. Do I have something lacking in my appearance? I have observed the stares of many directed toward me. Is there something wrong about what I am wearing?" Then, Byakuya flushed when he suddenly remembered what Ichigo had said to him just now. _Was it an illusion or just my wishful thinking? Did Ichigo mean what he said just now? _He had not believed his ears and the voice of Ludo Bagman had just provided him with a welcome distraction. Now that he was talking to Ichigo again it could not be avoided any longer.

Ichigo just could not believe it. Byakuya didn't know. He didn't freaking know why so many people looked at him. Byakuya did not look the part of a naïve and innocent person. He was in fact 230 years old! However it seemed as if age was not a factor for naivety in Soul Society. Ichigo was stumped. How could he explain to the other noble that they were ogling him? It just wasn't said in polite conversation.

"There's nothing wrong actually. They are staring because … you are attractive to them." Ichigo finally managed to say, his face scrunched in a grimace. "Just like you are attractive to me. Just now… the words I said were true. I really like you, Byakuya … a lot actually. I thought it was pretty obvious, what I felt about you."

Byakuya really did not know how to respond. Cheeks flushed with embarrassment, he made a fetching picture to Ichigo. Ichigo smirked. Now he knew Byakuya actually felt something for him. Ichigo had observed on occasion when he visited Soul Society that Byakuya's multitudes of admirers were all rejected coldly without a care. The visibly embarrassed but slightly pleased Byakuya who had nothing to say was rather new but a pleasant change. "Byakuya, you don't have to answer to my feelings now. But please think about it. I will be waiting for you… always." Ichigo finished, a big grin on his face.

Byakuya turned away from Ichigo rapidly, too embarrassed to reply. His pale cheeks flamed further as he contemplated Ichigo's words. Was he really that attractive to the orange head? Byakuya was actually rather pleased, albeit a little shell shocked. And how Ichigo had said the last sentence stunned him. Ichigo's determination and resolve had shocked Byakuya by its intensity. So Ichigo really liked him. A lot. His mind was still in disbelief of the fact. Byakuya then noticed something out of the ordinary. So many males were acting really silly trying to impress the group of female mascots. However, Byakuya did not even have a silver of feeling when he looked at the females. In fact, he felt that Ichigo was much more appealing to look at with his striking orange hair and soft brown eyes. _Is this normal? Why do I feel more of an attraction to Ichigo than any female? Do I really like Ichigo? _A barrage of confused thoughts flooded his mind, his many insecurities coming to light. _How can Ichigo actually like me? I am so much older than him it must be so boring for him to be in my company. Is he not more attracted to the females below than me? I caught him staring at them raptly. Can he really be devoted to me alone? After all, those females are actually more good-looking than me._ Byakuya felt a sudden pulse of jealousy as he glared at the female Bulgaria mascots._ He_ continued to face away from Ichigo, hiding the expression on his face, which was undoubtedly confused.

Byakuya barely noticed the female mascots lining up on one side of the pitch. He was too absorbed in contemplating his predicament. When Byakuya finally mustered enough courage to face Ichigo to give him a reply, he was rudely interrupted by the booming voice of Ludo Bagman.

"And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice, "Kindly put your wands in the air … for the Irish National Team mascots!"

Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet had come zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling towards the goalposts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the pitch, connecting the two balls of light. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up in the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it, realised Byakuya dazedly as he stared at the rather bizarre sight.

Heavy golden coins poured on Ichigo and Byakuya's heads as the shamrock passed over their heads. Ichigo wordlessly cupped out a hand and caught a few in his hand. "There is no way this is real." said Ichigo amazedly, "I bet this will vanish over time."

However, it seemed as if many did not share Ichigo's opinion as they were scrambling for the gold, tripping over their seats as they did so. A great roar of approval was expressed by the whole audience. Then, the great shamrock dissolved, the leprechauns drifted down to the pitch, to watch the match on the other side of the pitch from the females.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome – the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you – Dimitrov! Ivanova! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Vlkov! Aaaaaaand Krum!" A row of players clad in the scarlet of Bulgaria flew rapidly out onto the pitch. They were so fast that only Byakuya and Ichigo could see them clearly – they were both masters of shunpo after all and could go much faster than that. However, many could not even see the players clearly as they were just scarlet blurs. This was followed by wild applause from the Bulgaria supporters.

"This speed is quite impressive." Remarked Byakuya impassively, apparently choosing to ignore the previous conversation he had had with Ichigo. "It really is quite impressive for a human." Ichigo agreed readily. "But if I recall correctly, I was twenty times faster when I was a human without one of those weird brooms they use."

"Well, you are special after all." Byakuya murmured softly, a gentle smile on his lips. Ichigo was so surprised and pleased by the compliment and smile that he almost kissed Byakuya. Noticing his action, Ichigo immediately restrained himself. There was no need to act that fast. He would wait for the other noble to make the first move. Ichigo grinned slyly to himself.

"And now, please greet – the Irish National Quidditch Team!" yelled Bagman. "Presenting – Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaaand Lynch!"

Seven green blurs swept onto the pitch, bringing about further cheers from the Ireland supporters.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"

A rather scrawny-looking wizard stepped onto the pitch. Clad in robes of pure gold, he looked rather henpecked. Carrying a wooden crate in one hand, his broomstick in another, he mounted the broomstick and kicked the crate open. Byakuya watched, rather bored, as four balls soared up in the air. However, he watched attentively as it was his duty to learn more about the sport after all.

Bagman started screaming out the names of the players excitedly as the scarlet ball was thrown around. Irritated beyond words by the man, Byakuya sighed, a finger massaging his throbbing temple, trying to tune out the annoyingly loud voice. He suddenly felt exhausted. _It must be because my division had a lot of paperwork lately. I am so tired…_ He gave up on watching the game and decided to ask Ichigo to update him after the game instead, as he could not tolerate the noise or his exhaustion any longer.

Ichigo looked concernedly at Byakuya. It was not the first time the ebony haired noble had massaged his temple. He also looked decidedly pale and drained of colour. The black rings around Byakuya's eyes were prominent in his pallor and the tired grey eyes were dull and almost closing. "Byakuya, are you alright? Do you need a rest?" Ichigo asked worriedly. Byakuya declined, but told Ichigo to update him about the match later as he could no longer maintain his concentration.

The rest of the match passed in a blur. Ichigo no longer wanted to watch the match but had to because Byakuya needed his help. However, Ichigo kept glancing worriedly at Byakuya so he could not concentrate on it at all. This was the first time he had seen Byakuya so vulnerable, so tired. He had always thought of Byakuya as a person who never showed weakness. It was horrible to see Byakuya in this state. Ichigo kept his attention on Byakuya and was alarmed to note that the pale complexion had gone almost white. Byakuya looked like he would faint any moment.

Suddenly, Byakuya swayed and would have slumped forward and fallen out of his seat if not for Ichigo, who caught him and pulled him closer, supporting the ebony haired noble firmly in a tight hold. Byakuya blinked blearily at Ichigo, his migraine pounding at his head till he felt woozy and faint. He felt embarrassed to be in Ichigo's arms but had no strength to pull away. Ichigo's arms felt safe and warm, giving him a sense of relaxedness. Ichigo then laid Byakuya's head on his broad shoulder. Byakuya stiffened slightly. He had more pride than to rely on the orange head to keep upright. He was soothed by the pair of callused fingers stroking his hair gently, occasionally grazing the ebony haired noble's face. His weak moan of protest was stifled by Ichigo who stared at him with those mesmerising brown eyes, putting a finger to Byakuya's lips.

"Do not protest. You need the rest, Byakuya. You have been too overworked. Just relax and rest." Ichigo murmured softly. Byakuya was touched by the orange head's actions. In fact, Byakuya's heartbeat seemed to have gotten faster and his cheeks felt flushed again. _Do I like Ichigo? He is really and truly worried about me. This flutter in my heart … is it because I like him?_ The thoughts raced through his mind again. Byakuya fought back a sleepy yawn. He could not think clearly anymore. But his migraine was gone. Ichigo had made sure of that. All he wanted to do was sleep. _So tired … _Was his last thought as he let Ichigo lull him to sleep without any further protest.

Ichigo did not pay any further attention to the match, deciding to ask Harry to fill him in about the basic outline of the match later. He gazed fondly at the sleeping man in his arms, not wanting to miss the opportunity to observe Byakuya sleeping. The noble looked so young and innocent while sleeping – well, even more so than usual due to their age-altering gigais. Even younger, Byakuya still looked as handsome. The thick lashes of the sleeping noble fanned out on his alabaster cheek, making him look as delicate as a doll. The pink mouth, slightly parted in sleep looked so tempting. Ichigo had to fight back the urge to kiss those lips while the noble slept. Ichigo manoeuvred the noble carefully into a more comfortable position, his head lying on Ichigo's lap. Byakuya looked so peaceful when he slept, so serene with his face free of the usual expressionless look. He kept staring at Byakuya for a very long time, until a sudden noise distracted him yet again.

"IRELAND WIN!" shouted Bagman much louder than before. Byakuya stirred slightly as Ichigo winced in pain, holding his sensitive ears sharpened by his Shinigami senses. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH – BUT IRELAND WIN – good Lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

Ichigo ignored the man yet again, preferring to look at Byakuya. He gently covered Byakuya's ears as the thunderous cheering and applause sounded. The stadium quieted, and the golden Quidditch cup was given to the Irish team, whom flew in a victory lap around the pitch. "It's finally over." groaned Ichigo wearily as he carried Byakuya in his arms easily, not wanting to rouse the noble from his slumber. It was time to return to the tent to retire for the night.

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**Omake: Byakuya's secret dream**

While lying against the comfortable pillow (Ichigo's lap) Byakuya had a serene expression on his face. However, his dreams were anything but decent. Ichigo was clad in a skin tight leather suit that fit perfectly, moulding to every contour of Ichigo's sexy body. Brandishing a thin whip in one hand, Ichigo gave a loud purr of contentment as he said seductively, "Byakuya, I want to play with you." The melting brown pools drew the unsuspecting Byakuya in and before he knew it, his hands were tied to the bedpost of Ichigo's bed. Byakuya did not struggle at all, but submitted to the rough treatment. As Ichigo devoured Byakuya with his eyes hungrily, Byakuya gave an involuntary shudder as he imagined Ichigo's hands on his body. "I want you! Give me more!" The Byakuya in the dream demanded desperately. Ichigo started to remove Byakuya's clothing, one by one until there was only his pants left.

"Ahahaha. You are not going to get any tonight!" Ichigo grinned sadistically as he lashed Byakuya across the chest several times. Ichigo savoured the screams of pain that he forced out of Byakuya. Byakuya cowered against the wall, weeping cuts on his chest dripping crimson blood on the floor. Ichigo laughed maniacally. Byakuya was terrified. The ebony haired noble knew that no matter what Ichigo did, he would not raise a hand in retaliation as he loved the orange head. He submitted to the torture that was inflicted upon him. Just when Ichigo was about to whip him again, Byakuya had a rather rude awakening.

"Ahhhhhhhh! Get away from me!" Byakuya yelled to Ichigo, fully awake. He pushed a bewildered Ichigo out of the way before turning an odd shade of green. Groaning, he emptied the contents of his stomach in the bushes nearby. "Ichigo. You can stay outside the tent today." Byakuya calmly said, regaining his composure. "This is what you deserve." He said firmly without a glance at the orange head who was bewildered, a stunned expression showing on his face. Byakuya then ignored the Zanpakutō sniggering in his head pointedly, a cold expression on his face except for the warm flush on his cheeks. To tell the truth, even though Byakuya had been afraid, he had still enjoyed the torture. That was the worst part. Every shred of dignity had been lost.

Poor Ichigo slept outside the tent the whole night, shivering in the cold but still unable to figure out what he had done wrong.

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**Thanks for reading! Remember to review. Constructive criticism welcome!**


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